Sarasota Memorial celebrates National Nurses Week

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is celebrating its 1,200-plus nurses this week -- National Nurses Week, culminating May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

“For our nurses, it’s not just a profession – it’s a passion. Nurses are a combination of grit and grace – they have a wonderful way of balancing life saving care with heart-warming compassion,” said Sarasota Memorial Chief Nursing Officer Jan Mauck.

One of the highlights of Sarasota Memorial’s annual Nurses Week celebration will be the Magnet Nurses of Excellence Awards at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, recognizing the top 10 nurses in the health system who demonstrate the values that have made Sarasota Memorial a “Magnet Hospital.” Magnet Nursing Services Recognition, awarded sparingly by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center, identifies hospitals that provide the resources, education and supportive environment necessary to attract and retain the best and brightest nurses.

In honor of nursing’s special week, Sarasota Memorial also is continuing its longstanding “Blessing of the Hands” tradition at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday. Chaplains will anoint nurses' hands with oil and bless them for continuing to use their hands as instruments of healing. Other activities also taking place during the week include: